The Schultheis Notebook
Visitors can browse, magnify and examine the pages of a remarkable notebook that comprehensively documents of the making of Fantasia and reveals its many special effects techniques.
Throughout the development of the animated masterpiece Fantasia, a member of Disney’s camera effects department—Herman Schultheis—kept a meticulous record of the effects he and others pioneered in meticulous detail. His notebook was filled with drawings, behind-the-scenes photographs, film snippets, charts and written descriptions that reveal many of the techniques that were used to create this and other films also in production. The materials in the book describe the technical engineering, the preliminary art and motion inspiration, and the materials and processes that made many effects possible. The magical yet minimal interface in this interactive touch screen lets visitors page through the entire book, jump from one part to the next, and zoom into every detail. In the interface alongside many of the spreads in the notebook are inviting stills from Fantasia, Bambi and Dumbo that correspond to the material Schultheis documented on that page; as a visitor explores the book they can touch the still to play a clip from the movie that shows the final result.
Press & Awards
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“Exploring the Man Behind the Animation,” The New York Times, Edward Rothstein, September 30, 2009
“One of the most fascinating objects here is an enormous notebook created by Herman Schultheis, a technician in the camera-effects department in the late ’30s, in which he documented how images were produced in “Pinocchio” and “Fantasia.” Next to it, an animated display of the book responds to touch, so you can almost feel the creators’ imagination at work as they transmute real objects into fantastical washes of color.”
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“New Museum Reveals the Man Behind the Mouse,” Silicon Valley Mercury News, Chuck Barney, September 28, 2009
“Every gallery is crammed with touch screens and interactive exhibits designed to bring static drawings and documents to life.”
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“Spotlight: Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco,” SF Film Industry Examiner , Moira Sullivan, September 28, 2009
“In Gallery 5 spectators can interact with the film and documentation of Fantasia in a "Shultheis Notebook".”
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“Disney Family Museum puts focus on Walt,” The San Francisco Chronicle, Peter Hartlaub, September 25, 2009
“If that sounds boring, don't worry...there are 21st century touches everywhere...Touch-screen monitors allow users to browse through relic documents that would normally be kept under glass.”
Credits
- Designer
- Martin Linde
- Technology Director
- Thomas Wester
- Developers
- Matt Arnold, Matt Gitchell
- Producer
- Jennifer Guibord
- Video Editors
- Tim Kviz, David Waingarten
- Design Assistant
- Nina Pavlich
- Production Artist
- Rebecca Rosen
- Production/QA Assistants
- Elizabeth Bourke, Rebecca Rosen
- Content Development
- Walt Disney Family Foundation
- A/V Media Design
- Batwin & Robin
- A/V Integration
- BBI
- Exhibit Design
- Rockwell Group